Violin bridge



F. H. ASABURY VIOLIN BRIDGE Filed Dec. 26. 1923 Nov- 2 ,1926.

// n 61H01 nega Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES P-TENTzoFFicE..

FREDERICK H. ASBURYz OlE DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

VIOLIN BRIDGE.

Application led December 26, 1923. Serial No. 682,610.

This invention relates to a violin bridge or a bridge piece forany stringed musical instrument wherein the strings are positioned above a sounding board or chamber and adapted to be fingered or operated upon by a bow, picker or other instrumentality. In violins the bridge is ordinarily at a right angle to the body of the violin and a predetermined distance from the fret piece or neck of the violin, thus providing a defined or limited string area for a bow.

My invention aims to position a bridge or similar string supporting member so that it will increase the effective string area for a bow and thus better the tone quality of a stringed instrument.

My invention further aims to furnish a violin with an angularly disposed bridge and a bracing member for the bridge which will obviate permanently fastening the bridge to the sound board of the violin.

My invention will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings'wherem- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a violin showing my improvement, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal .sectional view of the same.

In the drawing, 1 denotes the body or sound box of a violin having a chamber 2, a sound board 3, sound openings 4, a sound post 5, a tail piece 6, a finger board 7, and strings 8 anchored on the tail piece 6 and extending outwardly above. the finger board 7 to be held and adjusted in the usual manner. The violin also includes a bridge 9 placed on the sound board 3 and supporting the strings 8 so as to provide an effective string area between the bridge 9 and the finger board 7 for the movement of a bow on said strings.

My invention is that of placing the bridge 9 at an obtuse angle relative to the sound board 3 with the bridge inclined rearwardly or towards the. tail piece 6 and braced relative thereto.

The bridge 9 is preferably of a framelilre construction including legs 10 and an opening 11, the legs engaging the sound board 3 preferably slightly in advance of the position of the sound post 5 within the chamber 2 and the lower ends of said legs are beveled so that the bridge 9 may be supported at an angle to the soundboard 3 and have a substantial footing thereon.

Extending into the opening 11 of the bridge and. embracing theI upper wall of the opening is the channel or forked end 12 of a brace 13 which has its opposite end provided with offset portions 14 and 15, either of which is adapted for engagement with the tail piece 6 to brace the bridge 9 relative to said tail piece and assist in maintaining the angularity of the bridge relative to the body of the violin. metal or any suitable material and is disposed at an acute angle relative to the sound board 3 and preferably central of the bridge and tail piece so that the bridge will be firmly held when the strings 8 are drawn taut and exert a pressure on said bridge.

By placing the bridge 9 at an obtuse angle or inclined rearwardly from the vertical the effective string area for a bow is increased and consequently there will be better tone quality and a wider range of action.

The bridge 9 may have its feet or legs fixed to the sound board 3 and when not fixed the brace 13 will prevent tilting of the bridge when string pressure is brought to bear on the upper edge of the bridge. The brace does not `interfere with the Sound carrying qualities of the bridge nor cause any deadening effect of tones emitted by the violin.

One embodiment of my invention has been illustrated but it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is l. ln a violin having a Sound board, tail piece and strings; a bridge disposed at an angle above said sound` board under said strings and inclined towards said'tail piece, said bridge having legs bearing on said sound board, said bridge by its angular relation to said sounding board affording a large string playing portion, and a brace between said bridge and the tail piece of said violin, said brace having a forked end engaging front and rear walls of said bridge be- The brace 13 may be made of tween the legs of said bridge to prevent bridge, said brace extending upwardly and tilting said bridge relative to the sound rearwardly with an orf-set `end thereof en- 1 board of the violn. gaging the tail piece of Said Violin body to 2. The combination with a violin body brace said bridge relative to said violin body.

5 having a tail piece7 a bridge having legs on In testimony whereof I aiix my signasaid violin body, and a brace having a ture. 'forked end in which said bridge is set with said forked end between the legs of said FREDERICK H. ASBURY. 

